Re: The draft Position statement on the GFDL

[Nathanael Nerode <neroden@twcny.rr.com>]

Raul Miller wrote:

> On Thu, May 06, 2004 at 09:12:05AM -0400, Nathanael Nerode wrote:
>> "Make or distribute" is the biggest problem here.  If it said "make and
>> distribute", you might be correct.  As it is actually written, it
>> requires that you not place specific technical obstacles in the way of
>> people reading or making copies of the copy you *make*, even if you don't
>> distribute it at all.
> 
> Except, this is a copyright, and only capable of restricting things
> copyrights can grant permission on.

Copyrights restrict the right to make copies, period.  Not just the right to
distribute them.  Legally, they always have, at least in the US.  (They
just aren't enforced terribly often against people who don't distribute,
because it's not usually worth the money; they are enforced sometimes.)

Is this the source of your confusion?  Did you not realize this?

I don't really need to reply to most of your other messages because your
arguments seem to be assuming that copyrights don't restrict the right to
make private copies.  Let me say it again: they do.

-- 
There are none so blind as those who will not see.